METHODS FOR DETECTING AND DETERMINING LEVELS OF MONOLIGNOL ESTER CONJUGATES INCORPORATED INTO LIGNIN AND COMPOUNDS RELATING THERETO

摘要

Described is a method of detecting and/or determining levels of incorporation of monolignol ferulate conjugate esters into lignin by derivatizing the lignin, reductively cleaving the lignin, labeling the cleavage products, and then detecting cleavage products derived from monolignol ester conjugates via differential attachment of the label.

主权项

1. A method of detecting and, optionally, determining a level of incorporation of monolignol ester conjugates into lignin, the method comprising:
(a) derivatizing lignin to acylate at least a portion free phenolic and aliphatic hydroxyls and to halogenate at least a portion of benzylic alcohols present in the lignin, to yield derivatized lignin; (b) treating the derivatized lignin of step (a) with a reducing agent to cleave at least a portion of the derivatized lignin, to yield lignin cleavage products; (c) acetylating at least a portion of free hydroxyl groups in the lignin cleavage products of step (b) with a labeled acetylation agent, to yield labeled lignin fragments; and (d) detecting the labeled lignin fragments produced in step (c).